Rodziah shows the final report of the masterplan study.
BINTULU: A few recommendations have been received following the completion of the Stormwater Management and Urban Drainage Masterplan Study for Bintulu town in 2018, especially to prevent flash floods, Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) general manager Rodziah Morshidi has said.
She said the study was conducted by a private consultant, Jurutera Jasa (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd, after Bintulu was hit with major floods in 2014.
Rodziah said the finding of the study had been presented and tabled to the BDA Management Board.
She added the same consultant was appointed to look into the best way to address the flash floods at Kampung Assyakirin and the surrounding areas.
As for Kampung Kemunting, she said the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) had their own plan which would be finalised and presented to the Bintulu Division Flood Technical Committee chaired by Bintulu Resident.
“However the plans by DID and BDA will need time to be implemented, so if there are heavy rains in the coming days, or weeks surely the same issue will crop up.
“So we want understanding from people in the villages to expect any torrential rain that will happen to cause the same effect, because what we plan will take time,” she said.
Rodziah was addressing a press conference after chairing a dialogue with DID and representatives from the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) of Kampung Assyakirin at Wisma Bintulu yesterday.
She said BDA had received very good feedback from the representatives of the JKKK of Kpg Assyakirin over the proposals recommended by BDA and Jurutera Jasa (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd.
The objective of the dialogue, she added, was to get more feedback from the affected villagers on what is implementable under the masterplan study.
Rodziah also said another meeting would be conducted with the consultant to look at the proposals from the JKKK before presenting them to the committee at the divisional level on Dec 12.
When asked for the exact date of implementation, she said BDA had to look at the budget because all of the recommendations were not allocated for, especially the DID projects.
Topping the list of the DID projects, she said, is to deepen and dredge Sungai Sebiew as 80 per cent the flood water flow down to Sg Sebiew.
“The state government has decided for DID projects to use BDA funding, but we have to bid under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
“BDA will have to look at extra allocation, the budget now that has been approved, and any additional budget will go through the same procedure,” she added.
DID Bintulu divisional engineer Henry Tuah said Sg Sebiew should be the priority.
“Most of the outlets end up at the Sebiew river, in terms of catchment about 80 per cent of the flash water flow to Sg Sebiew,” he said.